


Treasure Hunt Gone Terribly Wrong

by KazueEmiko



Series: A Miqo’te and an Au Ra's Collection [7]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, Treasure Hunting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28190520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazueEmiko/pseuds/KazueEmiko
Summary: Not all treasure map runs go well, and not all rewards make it. However, Crystal, Ainya, and their group decide to give it another shot.
Relationships: Au Ra Characters/Miqo'te Characters (Final Fantasy XIV)
Series: A Miqo’te and an Au Ra's Collection [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1915039
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Treasure Hunt Gone Terribly Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was loosely based on a real treasure map run with Ainya. Yes, she did crash and nearly killed my Crystal and, successfully, killed Ainya after driving off the cliff.

Sometimes, Crystal and Ainya found themselves strapped with money. As much as Crystal’s full-time job at both the Firmament and Camp Drybone and Ainya’s Goldsmith commissions provided them with funds for the week, those were only enough to put the food on the table and the occasional gifts they provided to one another.

Not that it helped with how most of their earlier expense went straight to buying a small house at The Mist.

They needed more, and there was only so much they can borrow from their friends and comrades before entering crippling debt. The two prayed every day for an opportunity to show itself. For anything. One day, they will not need to rely on others, and one day, they would be thriving in their spoils. But for now, they were living gil by gil, especially after their fateful return from the First.

_Seven Hells, this heat is killing me…_

Crystal wiped the sweat from her brows, the pickaxe comfortably lodged in between the rocks. Outside of Camp Drybone, the Au Ra, under the boiling sun’s rays, lugged a large sack on her back. In it contained a large quantity of Alumen. The white powders shifted around from within as she scooped a pile of Alumen on the ground with her trowel. She wiped her sweat again after tossing the Alumen into the sack.

How much money was she going to get from this? She adjusted her straps, the weight threatening to pull her into the ground.

All this backbreaking work will only make enough gil for them to buy food. The cost for traveling is too much… plus, she had to pull some funds out to pay for business taxes, her two retainers’ salaries, and the supplies for overnight camping on multiple occasions with her chocobo, Tushi.

The Miner readjusted her straps again. Maybe she should travel to Ishgard again. There was always something to do in the Diadem as a Miner. The Restoration of living space in Ishgard was coming close to completion, so employers requested even more commissions and supplies from their inhabitants and adventurers. They paid well based on how hard one worked.

She pulled out her pickaxe. Crystal moved to another part of the rocks, staring at one of the many cracks. Her fingertips brushed its surface. Then, with sweat rolling down her face, she raised the axe and slammed it down. The vibration traveled through her sturdy arms as bits of Alumen flew from the harsh impact.

_I could always head back to the Firmament._

Though if she did that, she could not return home for another good month. One week’s worth of work there was not enough, unfortunately.

Crystal frowned as she pulled out her axe. She vividly recalled the number of days she camped at the Diadem.

Beasts towered above her as she nodded off, unable to get a full-day worth of rest upon the floating islands. Her chocobo did his best to keep her warm, but he too suffered the same fatigue. Plus, the fact that her only contact with Ainya would be to send letters through the Moogle mail delivery... The days and nights stretched on forever.

Being homesick is an understatement. Still, the price for working and exchanging her products with her current employer did not sound like a bad idea.

Another grunt as she gathered the Alumen. She pondered long and hard about traveling to Ishgard for the long, arduous job. Eventually, the sack not only grew heavier, but the sun too began to set. By the time Crystal looked up to the clear sky, the blue was replaced with darkness, the scattered stars twinkling in the darkness. Unfortunate that the stuffy atmosphere remained.

 _I think I should head home now_ , she thought. Crystal hooked her pickaxe between her back and the sack, and she held onto both straps. She started walking out of the rocky valley with stiff features. _I might have to let Ainya know that I will not be home for a while starting next week._

Crystal slowly paced herself to Camp Drybone. The guards greeted her with a nod as she entered. By the time she reached into the somewhat bustling premise with many adventurers coming and going to purchase their supplies and materials, she bumped into one of her good friends.

A smile bloomed on her face at the sight of Gryffin.

“Didn’t think I would bump into you here,” Crystal said. The Bard, fully equipped and accessorized in her modded gear, fiddled with the ends of her hair and replied, “The same could be said to you too. What are you doing here?”

Gryffin’s mouth turned into an “o” at the sight of the large sack Crystal pointed at. She crossed her arms with a strained smile. “Hard at work, huh? Hope your back doesn’t give out.”

“If it did, I think Ainya would make fun of how old I am.”

“Not that she would be wrong.”

The female Hyur laughed as she narrowly dodged a playful smack on her shoulder. “Oh! By the way, I forgot to mention something to you,” Gryffin snapped her fingers. “I was wondering if you want to go on a Treasure Hunt with everyone.”

“Treasure hunt?”

“It’s this,” she extended her hand out. In it, it was a Timeworn Map, the piece of paper crumpled in a glass bottle. Crystal retrieved the object as Gryffin continued. “I found this during one of my supply expeditions at the Ruby Sea. Figured we can decipher this together and get us some bread.”

“Eh… you know, we’ve run some together, yet we haven’t exactly made much with it,” Crystal stared deadpan at the Bard. “With everyone involved, we barely split the reward of 2,000 gil for each person.”

“At least we made something!”

“You know that most of those funds went straight to paying for our medical treatments!”

Crystal and Gryffin shuddered at the memories they shared. The Treasure Hunt team, consisting of a Dragoon (Crystal), Red Mage (Ainya), Monk (Asuka), Bard (Gryffin), Machinist (Mierna), two Dark Knights (Minimus and Angel), and a Ninja (Rubia), managed to fail splendidly when confronted with a horde of Behemoth.

To think that their hopes to make it in the big league came with a horrible cost… They recalled the Dark Knight Miqo’te persisting through her injuries. She slashed into the empty sky, cutting open a portal to the Void. Darkness oozed to the ground and formed a large puddle that covered the entire ground. Then, Angel grimaced, slamming her white broadsword into the ground. Bloody red glyphs surrounded the entire party as the Behemoths struck altogether at the wounded warriors.

Had it not been for Angel’s quick thinking and extreme last resort, they would have perished.

“Still, I hope Angel is feeling better these days…” Crystal mumbled, scratching the side of her face.

It was a miracle they had gotten away alive. Many of them broke their bones and earned lacerations at most. However, the same could not be said for the Dark Knight.

It has been a month since their last trip, and Angel was still glued to her bed in Ishgard at the medical bay. The Miqo’te not only broke several bones from fighting against the Behemoth, but her strength was sapped from saving their behinds, tapping into the raw energy of a Dark Knight. It was something both Minimus and Crystal knew all too well, and it was something they preferred not to use.

Gryffin poked Crystal’s nose, startling the small Auri. She smiled at the Dragoon, saying, “I’m sure she’ll feel better. Besides, she’s got Ser Aymeric watching over her.” Then, she clasped her hands together, adding, “I think we should tackle this treasure hunt anyway.”

“Wait, you’re still on board with that?”

“Of course! If you want, we can think of it as another way to make money for Angel,” Gryffin puffed her chest out with her hands on her waist. “It’s our way to repay her kindness!”

Crystal cupped her chin, looking down, and hummed. Another dangerous Treasure Hunt awaits them. Since Gryffin had traveled and worked at the Ruby Sea for a few months, and she can confirm, with Asuka, that the Timeworn Maps there hold a higher value than that from their homelands at Limsa Lominsa, New Gridania, and Ul’dah. She glanced at the map at hand. Then, she tightened her hold on it, looking back at her friend.

“I’ll talk to Ainya about this first. But you can count me in.” As Gryffin received the returned Timeworn Map from the Au Ra, Crystal chuckled, albeit with shakiness, “Let’s hope we don’t bump into anymore Behemoth.”

“You and me both, Crystal,” the Bard laughed. “You and me both.”

**[-----]**

Ainya sat in their living room at The Mist. A cup of coffee at hand (with plenty of milk and sugar dumped into it) and a book in another, she kept herself busy as the fire crackled from their fireplace. The Red Mage, dressed in her buttoned pajamas, glanced over her shoulder and through the glass windows. Her shoulders slumped, a long sigh coming from her direction.

_When will Crystal be back?_

She placed the cup down on the table. The Miqo’te shifted her position, her feline tail moving with her. Ainya sighed again.

Unlike her girlfriend, she takes commissions as a Goldsmith. Her workshop was mostly in the guild, always getting at least one new client every day she worked. It was hard but honest work. The number of fine pieces of jewelry and accessories she made for everyone raked in a decent amount of gil. That is if the season was right for any Goldsmith.

Unfortunately for her, today was one of the slower days, and without the holidays coming around any corner, not many customers needed her service. A meager thousand gil was earned from today’s sluggish reception.

 _If only more people would get married,_ she thought. _Is marriage not the norm anymore?_

Ainya closed her eyes, closing her book and leaning back against the couch. There needs to be another way to earn some money… The less she was able to earn, the harder Crystal worked. On weekends, the Dragoon would travel to Camp Drybone. On weekdays, she would travel to the Firmament. Ainya placed a hand over her closed eyes. The harder Crystal worked, the more it hurt Ainya. Once more, a shaky sigh slipped out.

Maybe I should convince Crystal to take a vacation…

“Ainya!”

The door slammed open. All hairs from the back of Ainya’s neck stood up as she snapped her eyes open, falling off the couch. The side of her head smacked the ground with a loud thud. She quietly cursed under her breath as her head throbbed, barely avoiding the book’s crushed fate. The Red Mage pushed herself upright, rubbed her head, and placed her reading material aside. She raised a brow at the sight of her sweaty, out of breath lover.

“Something must’ve happened if you came running here,” Ainya mumbled as her girlfriend approached her. She nearly squeaked once her hands were enveloped in hers. Crystal breathed, “We have a Treasure Hunt to do.”

“…what?”

“A Treasure Hunt!”

Ainya stared at Crystal. She examined her face, eventually returning her gaze to her golden limbal eyes. Slowly, Ainya whispered, “Didn’t you remember what happened the last time?” She retracted her hands and shook her head. “I don’t think the reward is worth it—”

“This time, it’ll be different.”

The Miqo’te squinted her eyes. “How could you be so sure?”

“I know it. The Timeworn Map… it was from the Ruby Sea.”

“The Ruby Sea…”

Crystal nodded. “Besides, I want us to get the reward and repay Angel for what she’s done for us.” She rejoined their hands again, their fingers intertwined. “If… that’s okay with you, of course.”

“Hm… You made a good point…” Ainya squeezed her hands, her eyes softening. “I’ll bring some of my friends over to this Treasure Hunt. I wouldn’t want us to have a repeat of last time.”

If anything, she would rather avoid getting into another hairy situation like that. Sure, they had fought Primals, and they had fought enemies far tougher than any ordinary warrior could handle. However, no matter how strong and experienced they were, if they were caught off guard, only death awaits them.

Ainya recalled the time when she watched Crystal struggle to breathe, her fractured ribs teetering her between shattering her bones and keeping them intact. The Red Mage, on the other hand, was far too busy protecting the reckless Dragoon from kissing death’s ring, her rapier slicing and dicing the many Behemoths.

Rubia from afar was trying to stay conscious, her knives trembling from fatigue. Asuka barely managed to keep her bloody fist up with an unconscious Gryffin in her arm. Mierna cursed under her breath as she frantically searched for any form of ammunition for her guns. Finally, there were the two Dark Knights, Minimus battered to death, and Angel barely standing upright.

It was a complete nightmare, and it was something she never wanted to go through ever again.

“Crystal,” she called. With her girlfriend’s attention on her now, Ainya smiled, leaning in to give her a gentle kiss. “Go shower. Can’t have you mimicking Estinien and stinking up the house.”

“You sure have a way to be both caring and heartless.”

“Just go!” She threw a pillow at her chuckling girlfriend, which missed as she disappeared into the bathroom.

A silly smile bloomed on Ainya’s face. She settled back on the couch, picking up the same book and resumed where she left off.

Looks like it is time for some preparation… and, hopefully, there will not be another incident eerily similar with their previous Treasure Hunt.

**[-----]**

**[2 WEEKS LATER…]**

“Is everyone ready?” Gryffin asked, her hands on her hips.

Their party, consisting of mostly everyone from the previous Treasure Hunt, nodded. They were located in the dense forest of Gridania. Unlike the first few times they ran their hunt, they were fairly stocked in items and wore their best attire appropriate for the occasion. Plus, in exchange for a missing Angel, two new members were added.

Nym, a Bard, and Aldous, a Warrior. The two of them, good friends with Ainya, accepted her invitation to the Treasure Hunt. As veterans in these affairs, they were more than happy to make sure things went as smooth as possible.

“It’s… nice to see another Bard,” Nym muttered, eyeing Gryffin. Gryffin flashed a smile at her. “It’s always nice to see another Bard too! I’m impressed that you wrote a ton of songs and ballads about Ainya. That’s amazing!”

“Oh, no no, it’s just something that I wanted to do… I don’t think it’s that praise-worthy…”

“Aren’t you a shy one!” The Bard barely held back her squeak as Gryffin approached her and gave her a good slap on the shoulder. “Us Bards got to stick together! There’s only so many of us out there in this hard, cruel world.”

“Why are you so dramatic?” Asuka deadpan stared at her.

Gryffin turned to her girlfriend with raised brows. “I am not!”

“Sureeeeeeee… wait till they see the side of you when you’re alone with me—”

“H-HEY!” Gryffin immediately rushed to Asuka and pulled on the Au Ra’s cheeks. Asuka flailed her hands out, trying to push her lover away as the Bard assaulted her with stretches.

Aldous turned to Ainya, faintly smiling with his arms crossed. “Tell me, are you the same as Gryffin when you’re alone with Crystal?”

“Whoa— hold your horses, buddy!” Ainya smacked him on the arm, eliciting a chortle from Aldous. “I’ll have you know that’s a secret!”

“Not really,” he answered with a deadpan expression. “Did you forget the number of times you both flirted in public?”

“We were just holding hands!” Ainya’s face turned beet red.

“That’s not all.”

“Okay, we hug too!”

“Nope.”

“Okay okay, we hug a lot.”

“Yeah, let’s just add that you love kissing her so much, I would’ve mistaken you as a cat in heat.”

“You should be so glad you’re an Au Ra,” she frowned and looked up at him. “A tall one at that too. Otherwise, I would’ve pulled your horns out of your head.”

“Try me,” he smirked. He even leaned down, tempting the Miqo’te to jump. “Or are you too much of a wimp to try? I bet you’re not even that strong even if you grabbed them.”

“OH, YOU SAID IT, MISTER.”

As Ainya attempted to grab his horns, the Warrior roaring with laughter at her failure, in the background, Rubia, Minimus, Mierna, and Crystal exchanged looks.

“Let’s hope this Treasure Hunt won’t end like the last time,” Minimus nervously chuckled. “Though I promise you all, it won’t happen again, even if we’re in that situation. I’ve been preparing everything I can in these Treasure Hunt.”

“Same here,” Rubia’s ears perked upward. Though most of her facial features are concealed thanks to the Ninja’s black mask, her eyes smiled. “I’ve been training under Yugiri in case we run into a horde of Behemoths again.”

“I don’t exactly want to see them again, so let’s not mention them, haha…” Mierna rubbed the back of her neck, her smile faltering. “Though I did pack extra ammunition in case that happens! Plus…” she patted a rather elongated firearm hooked to her back among the other weapons. “I have a grenade launcher!”

“Oi oi, you better not be doing any friendly fire here,” Minimus shuddered.

Mierna laughed, waving her hand in the air. “Of course not! Though if that ever happens, please know that it was all an accident.”

“Guess it’s time we rely on you again, Minimus,” Crystal said.

“You’re right,” Rubia clapped her hands together into a prayer. She bowed to the Dark Knight, muttering, “Please protect us from being blown up into smithereens.”

“HEY!”

Crystal and Mierna laughed. Minimus, on the other hand, frantically waved his hands, shaking his head. However, their conversations were short-lived as the Treasure Hunt was about to begin.

Gryffin and Asuka were the leaders of the group for today’s Treasure Hunt. They both waved to everyone as they hopped onto their shared chocobo mount.

Many of their comrades hopped onto their chocobos, with some on their birds and… turtles, even. For Crystal and Ainya, they shared a SDS Fenrir bike, with Crystal as the rightful owner of it. She rested her hand on the black vehicle, her eyes flickering to Ainya.

“I’ll drive us,” she said with a faint smile. “Though it might be a little cramped to sit since I’m wearing my Pteroslaver armors.” And those were not only heavier than her other armors, but they were also… spikier.

However, the Red Mage had other plans. She poked Crystal’s nose. “Let me drive it!” Crystal opened her mouth, but Ainya immediately cut her off with a finger to her lips. “I know, you might be wondering why, but I want to give it a spin. Besides,” she motioned to their surroundings. “Despite us being in a forest, there is a lot of room to drive around.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to give you some lessons?” Crystal asked. “Isn’t this your first time driving a motorcycle?”

“Nope.” Ainya chuckled and intruded upon her Fenrir, sitting on the seat and placing her hands on the body. “I drove them before. Many times, actually.”

“This is the first time I’ve heard of it.”

“Ainya, Crystal, are you guys ready?” Gryffin called from the front. When the two women turned to her, they noticed that everyone was already heading out, following after Minimus, who knew exactly where the mark was on the map. The Bard, alongside her Monk, sat on their chocobo, staring at the other couple. Flustered, Crystal waved them off.

“We’ll catch up!” she said. Turning to Ainya, she jumped on, snapped her visor on, and hugged her girlfriend from behind. “I’ll take your words for it,” she breathed. “Let’s follow after them.”

“Right,” Ainya grinned. Then, she reeved the motorcycle.

Not long after, many of their comrades glanced in their direction, the smell of burning rubber tires running through the dense forest ground. They were the fastest driver among the members. Not surprising as the SDS Fenrir was known very well for its speed, and Crystal, having added some enhancement to her vehicle, was much faster than its original build. Their hairs fluttered among the gust as they followed after Minimus.

The ride was… smooth. Frankly, Crystal was nervous in the beginning, knowing that Ainya had little to no experience with her motorcycle. After all, it was the Dragoon that drove her around, not the other way around. Plus, it would devastate her if the motorcycle wrecked! But seeing how their ride went... Crystal tightened her hold around her girlfriend as she muttered, “You should drive me around some more.”

“Did you say something?”

Crystal shook her head. “Nothing.”

“If you say so,” Ainya smiled. Her heterochromia eyes shifted to her right, and they shone. “Oh, there’s a cliff there.” She glanced to the pair in front of her, the two carried by Nexas’s chocobo. The Red Mage chuckled. “I bet we can catch up to them through the cliff.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Crystal frowned.

“Doesn’t your bike fly though?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then it’s settled!”

The Dragoon clung for dear life as her girlfriend increased the bike’s speed, sending them straight to the cliff. Crystal called out to Ainya, but the strong gust silenced her.

“This bike’s flying features are broken!”

By the time her words rang in Ainya’s ears, it was too late.

“Ah—”

They were propelled hard off the cliff, driving midair. Though there was one little problem…

“This is going to really hurt,” Crystal mumbled.

The two unfortunate Warriors of Light plummeted into the nearest tree. A horrific metallic crunch resonated in the air. Many of their friends witnessing the disaster screamed or gasped in surprise. The Dragoon, Red Mage, and their SDS Fenrir rolled and smacked into various trees, bushes, and roots in their path, until, finally, they came to a stop.

Smoke filled Crystal’s sense of smell, causing the Auri to wheeze. Crystal felt her blood running down the side of her head as she shakily pushed herself to her knees. Bruises began to discolor her skin, small red lines painting her exposed skin, and her helmet dented inward. Crystal cursed under her breath and got up to her feet.

She blinked a few times. It was blurry and the world was spinning around her, albeit temporarily. Crystal rested her hand on the side of her head as she grumbled, “Gosh, I’m glad I didn’t break any bones…” If she had worn anything but her armor, then… The Dragoon sighed.

Ainya, on the other hand, was not that fortunate. Crystal limped to her lover. Her eyes went wide at the sight.

“Ah…”

Her girlfriend was… squished between the crushed SDS Fenrir and one of the many trees. She was slumped in the tight position, knocked out from the abrupt crash. It would have been comedic if Ainya was not bordering on the edge of death. Again.

Crystal cursed again and retrieved a Potion. Popping the cork with her thumb, she downed the bitter substance, tossing it to the side with a shatter. The sharp pain that resonated from her head dulled into painless throbs. After a quick removal and tossing of her helmet, the dented surface harshly rubbing her cut head, she rushed to her unconscious Miqo’te. She rested her hand on Ainya’s shoulder.

“Hey, wake up!” she shook her shoulder. No response. Or rather— Ainya groaned, slowly opening her eyes. The feline woman shifted her gaze to her girlfriend, muttering, “When did you become an angel…?”

Crystal nearly smacked her forehead. “If you have time to joke around and say something like that, I think we are very much alive.”

“What… happened?”

“You crashed us, that’s what.”

The Dragoon felt her heart squeeze at the sight of her bike. Rest in peace to the bike that she spent nearly three years of her allowance on… Repairing it would cost a fortune, an amount just shying away from buying a new vehicle.

Crystal grabbed another vial. It was a Mega Potion she saved up for her lover. The pink liquid slushed as she brought it close to Ainya’s lips.

“Drink up. You’ll need it for me to pull you out.”

Not too long afterward, it turns out, even with the help of their allies, pulling Ainya out of the mess was harder than they thought. Minimus was the first to arrive on the scene, tugging the heavy bike away from Ainya. Unfortunately, freeing Ainya from her entrapment wasn’t the only problem.

The three warriors froze at the sight of… a large Forneus. It was coming close to the small group, the smell of Ainya’s blood drawing it in. Minimus, and Crystal pulled out their weapons, glaring at the dark demon. It stopped in place. Tilting its head, the creature slowly raised its scythe, pointing it at the three adventurers.

“And here I thought a Behemoth was already bad enough…” Minimus mumbled, tightening his grip on his broadsword. “Let’s hope it doesn’t give us too much trouble.” He glanced at Crystal. “Focus on getting Ainya away from here.”

Crystal nodded and slowly backed away from the fight, her lance kept pointing at Forneus. She inched closer to the severely wounded Ainya as she looked at the Dark Knight. Minimum glanced at his friend. He smiled. At that same moment, Minimus rushed in, bellowing as he smashed his blade into the demonic beast.

The beast was far smarter than your average monster. Forneus was quick and quickly blocked the Au Ra’s strike. Sparks flew upon contact. Minimus gritted his teeth and swung at the beast again. But, just like last time, the demon blocked. This repeated a few times until it finally countered.

The blades managed to get caught with each other, locking them in a desperate power struggle. With a mighty roar, the Forneus applied immense pressure, overwhelming Minimus. The male Au Ra’s wrists started to creak as he was crouching, his knees almost touching the ground. Just when he thought his wrists were going to snap, the weight was gone instantly.

It threw him off balance. And that was exactly what the Forneus wanted. The scythe made contact with his shoulder, and Minimus barely avoided it, the tip slicing through his thick armor and into his chainmail. This forced Minimus to back away. Sweat ran down his face as he breathed hard.

“Tch, this thing is tough!” he spat.

“Not too tough when we’re with you!”

Behind the Dark Knight, Mierna and Nym came into the picture, their weapons drawn. The redhead tapped the end of her gun over her shoulder, cocking her head. “I bet a few bullets to its head might do the trick,” she said.

“I don’t think that’s going to defeat it…” Nym pulled back her arrow, aiming it at its chest. “You’ll need plenty of bullets, in that case.”

“Fine by me,” Mierna shrugged. “Actually, do you think a grenade launcher would work in this case?”

“Are you trying to overwork me!?” Minimus exclaimed.

Regardless, their conversations amused Minimus and he thanked them all. The Dark Knight reeled his arms back. If he has some of his comrades, then he can hold off the beast. At least, until Crystal escapes with Ainya.

Once the Dark Knight rushed back into the zone, Mierna twirled her firearm. Both she and Nym aimed at the Forneus, their eyes sharp.

They each pulled the trigger or released their bow, the arrows and bullets flying alongside at similar speed. It successfully made contact with the creature. Blood spurted from its chest and limbs as the two continued to riddle it with holes. It cried out, swinging its sharp blade violently at the two. However, Minimus was there to intersect, his blade stopping it in place.

He matched the speed of the monster— No, he outmatched it. He was becoming faster thanks to Mierna and Nym slowing its movement down.

As Nym pulled another poisoned arrow back, Mierna backflipped to her comrade’s side. The line of bullets flew wildly in the Forneus’s direction. Many mini-explosions blew up around Minimus while he landed blow after blow with his blade. The young Hyur wiping soot from her cheek and grinned.

“Time for me to use it!”

Nym’s eyes went wide. Her hold on the arrow faltered as she yelped, “PLEASE DON’T!”

In the background, Crystal carried Ainya in her arms after tossing her lance on her back. She wasted no time running away from the area, heading anywhere but the fight. Almost immediately afterward, she heard an explosion from the background… and was there someone or two screaming “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” ? A bead of sweat not from the heat rolled down the side of her face.

 _I bet every gil I have that it was Mierna,_ she thought.

“Crystal… I’m sorry…”

Crystal looked down. Ainya stared up at her with slanted eyes. Crystal faintly smiled, whispering, “What are you apologizing about?”

“Your bike.”

“Well, yes, I will accept your apology for that. But now is not the time.” She held Ainya close to her and skidded to a stop. Breathing hard, she stared at the Forneus in front of her. The Dragoon bit the bottom of her lip. “I thought they handled it!?”

“We got this then!”

The Forneus jerked to the side. It stumbled, a fresh wound appearing on its side. Aldous took a few steps backward, twirling the large axe at hand. He grinned as Asuka cracked her knuckles from behind.

“This thing ain’t got anything on us,” the Monk said. Asuka bounced on her feet, rolling her shoulders, staring at the dark demon. “I’ll pummel it for hurting Ainya.”

Gryffin reached behind her back, pulling out three arrows. Glancing at her girlfriend, she mumbled, “Try not to be too reckless though. We can’t have you dying on us.”

“You have too little faith in me,” Asuka laughed. She beat her chest, puffing them out. “I’ll have you know that I’ve fought harder enemies than this!”

Right after she said this, she rushed straight into the Forneus at incredible speed. A gust blew against the warriors around her and, in a blink of an eye, she was already in front of the scythe-wielder. Asuka pulled back her fist as far as possible. Then, the Au Ra roared and threw her hand out.

The Forneus was unable to counter nor defend itself from her strike. Her knuckles dug deep into the creature’s abdomen, twisting her wrist, applying as much pressure as she could into this one punch.

Gryffin immediately released her arrows onto the Forneus, and she did not stop from there. She continuously showered the inhumane beast with plenty of wooden sticks sprouting out of its chest and back. When the Forneus swung its scythe in retaliation, Aldous was there, raising his large axe to deflect the massive blow from the Bard.

Asuka landed punch after punch, in-synch with her girlfriend’s assault. Gryffin glared as she noticed Forneus’s strange reaction. It didn’t do much… Just taking their blows like a punching bag. Something is off…

Ah—

Her eyes went wide. “I won’t let you!” she snarled. The Hyur immediately raised her bow to the sky, chanting under her breath, concentrating upon the sole arrow that rested on her bowstring. The arrow turned golden. Then, when she released it, it flew into the clouds.

A part of the clouds parted. Gold rays shined upon the land below them, Asuka and Aldous halting. They glanced up at the sky. Then, their hearts nearly leaped out of their chest, their legs frantically carrying them away from the zone. By the time they passed Gryffin was the moment a huge flurry of golden arrows shot down from the sky.

“You could’ve killed us!” Aldous barked. “M-Maybe warn us next time when you’re going to use your Limit Break?”

“I agree with him,” Asuka said, out of breath and leaning down. “Though I have to admit…” She straightened her posture. She looked at Gryffin and flashed a smile. “That was awesome.”

“Please don’t enable her…”

Gryffin wiped the sweat from her brows as she lowered her bow. She faintly smiled back at the two. “Sorry about it. Just a spur of the moment kind of deal.” Unfortunately, their dialogues were cut short, their attention returning to the trembling Forneus.

“It’s still alive?!” Aldous raised his axe once more, his brows furrowed. He managed to swing his weapon up into the air just in time for the sharp blade to smash into it. It brought him down to his knees, the tip of the scythe violently shook over his forehead. Blood spilled from the corner of his lips from an accidental bite of his cheek, and he spat, “How stubborn!”

Aldous gave a mighty roar and threw off the Forneus. Their fight resumed once more, Gryffin and Asuka jumping back into the fray. The dark demon was immediately engulfed in a flurry of punches and arrows, its inhumane screeches echoing throughout the area.

As for Crystal and Ainya, they were already long gone from the battlefield, Crystal carrying Ainya far from it.

The Dragoon huffed rapidly as her arms began to ache, the numbing effect disappearing from her head, and ran as fast as she could. If only there was a place for them to stay safe… The Treasure Map could always wait for later.

“Whoa!”

The Au Ra tripped over her own feet. She twirled her body around, keeping the Red Mage away from the ground as she collided with the ground. Crystal cursed under her breath. There was barely any damage from the fall, but if she were not careful… Crystal shook her head. She slowly relaxed her arms around the Miqo’te and looked up to the nearly unconscious cat.

“Sorry about that,” she said.

Ainya exhaled and buried her face into Crystal’s breastplate. “You’re fine…”

Crystal’s eyes softened, her hand rubbing Ainya’s back. Without a reply, the Dragoon eased the Red Mage up to her feet, Crystal supporting her girlfriend. Ainya plopped an arm over Crystal’s shoulders. The Miqo’te exhaled another ragged breath.

She was hurt. Badly. It was startling how she has yet to have fallen unconscious after they peeled her away from the trees. Wavess of sharp pain jabbed and crashed into her sides. The Potion barely minimized the pain into a dull ache. Unfortunately, the effect was wearing off. Fast.

Ainya grimaced. She cursed herself for her reckless action. The Red Mage leaned into her lover as she shakingly raised her bruised hand. That same hand began to glow gentle neon green. She frowned and faced her palm towards her own body.

Unlike potions, Vercure, acting very much like any Cure, at least tended to some of her injuries, albeit minor ones.

The Dragoon watched their surroundings as her girlfriend cast another Cure on herself.

Then… Footsteps. Their hearts froze in place as the large footsteps became louder. Crystal gulped. When she glanced over her shoulder, her heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach.

“Not again!”

The Dragoon held Ainya in one arm, keeping her body close. Crystal slowly backed away until they were close to a tree. She lowered her comrade down to the ground, resting her back against the trunk. Down on her knee, the Au Ra faintly smiled at her dazed Miqo’te.

“Wait for back-up…” Ainya muttered.

“I will,” Crystal patted her cheek. “But in the meantime, I’ll protect you.”

The Warrior of Light immediately straightened her posture. She turned to look at the Forneus again. A slick metallic sound resonated in the air as she unsheathed her lance from her back. Crystal twirled it once. In both hands, she pointed the tip of her weapon at the beast. She bent her knees and tensed her arms. Her golden limbal eyes steadily watched the dark demon. Then, focusing on herself, she was engulfed in a fiery blue aura surrounded by a spirit-like dragon, Blood of the Dragon activated.

That was when the Forneus rushed forward. It violently swung its scythe in her direction. However, Crystal grinned. She High Jumped into the air, disappearing into the sky. Almost instantly, she crashed down into the demon like a boulder, her spear digging deep into its shoulder. It thrashed and desperately shook Crystal off.

She hopped off. Back on the ground, she pounced without any hesitation. She thrust her lance frantically— less on killing, but more on weakening, the wounds increasing with every stretch of her arms. Crystal’s eyes went wide as it flapped its wings.

And dang it, she did forget it has wings.

The flaps caused a strong gust to blow in her direction. She raised one arm up, unable to keep her eyes wide. Unfortunately, by the time she lowered her arm, she saw the Forneus’s scythe close to her waist.

_I can’t avoid it!_

Crystal gritted her teeth and, to the best of her ability, backflipped away by 15 yalms. The tip scraped a chunk of her armor and kissed her chainmail underneath. Fortunately, no contact with her skin. Yet she found herself rolling backward and into a bush. Minor cuts painted her face from the sharp branches as she scrambled back to her feet. She was breathing hard, her eyes frantically going back and forth between the demon and Ainya.

“Don’t think I’m going to let you die, darling.”

From afar, Ainya’s hand was outstretched. Sweat rolled and dripped from her chin as she exerted all her remaining strength and energy in casting Vercure to her lover. A sense of rejuvenation washed over the Dragoon with the spell. She waved her hand high in the air, thanking Ainya, and readjusted her stance.

“Looks like you all need me after all.”

Crystal felt a familiar presence by her side. She needed not to look to know who it was. The Auri smiled, the other Dark Knight unsheathing her sword.

“I thought you were supposed to be at Ishgard?”

“I was until they told me I was discharged,” Angel said. Her tail flicked as she glanced over at Ainya leaning against the tree. She frowned. “Looks like I was discharged at the right time.”

Angel reeled her arms back, the blade aimed straight at the demon. “I’ve heard of the rumors, but I didn’t expect there to be so many of these demons around here…” She bit the bottom of her lip. Her eyes narrowed. Then, she disappeared, a strong burst of wind blowing outward from where she once stood.

The Dark Knight lunged in close to Forneus. It reacted immediately. But it was too slow thanks to the countless injuries it sustained. Angel elegantly swept her broadsword into its chest. The Forneus staggered after another strike. When Angel swung her blade one more time, it tried to parry a blow that came faster than it predicted.

Crystal refused to stand on the sideline any longer. After watching Angel take on the demon, she pressed her hand against her left shoulder where a certain dragon's eye embedded deep in her body. Heat pulsed from it. Then, the spirited blue dragon that circled around her transitioned to bright red. Crystal’s eyes became similar in color, her lance pulsing to life with immense energy.

At that same moment, Rubia popped from behind, throwing her kunai knives over Crystal’s head. The Ninja hurriedly cast multiple buffs on both Angel and Crystal, various effects bursting from her spot and onto the field. She wiped the sweat from her forehead after the furious conduct.

“Sorry I was late— Oh! What a surprise that Rin is here,” the Miqo’te said.

Angel glanced over her shoulder. She strained a smile, her arms shaky, as she responded, “I wouldn’t want to miss the fun you guys are having. Besides,” she ducked, narrowly avoiding the scythe that threatened to slice her ears off. “I’m here to help you all deal with these demons.”

Rubia bent her knees, unsheathing the daggers from behind and twirling them in her grasp. She crossed her arms, looking at Ainya. The Red Mage slowly stood up with the assistance of the tree. Rubia’s brows furrowed.

“I think we should finish the enemy before we get help from someone who should be in the medical bay,” she murmured.

The other two agreed. Here now begins the real slaughter. They pushed forward and kept the momentum up. Angel battle cried as she slashed and deflected the tall monster’s attack. Rubia breathed deeply. She ran forward at an incredible speed, piercing and slicing at the Forneus’s exterior, giving it even more lacerations. And finally, Crystal, standing from afar, glared at the creature.

There was no need to dance around the dark demon. This wasn’t like dueling in an arena. She narrowed her eyes, and, using the power of the eye, jumped into the air.

“You’re done for!”

First, she unleashed a bursting strike full of exploding energy from Geirskogul. Immediately afterward, she released Nastrond upon the scythe-wielder.

It blew Forneus away. In fact, it obliterated it, causing its body to disintegrate completely. Crystal felt all her energy seep away and crumpled to her knees. Alarmed, Rubia, and even Ainya, rushed to her side.

“Crystal! Are you okay?” Rubia asked.

“Gosh… you shouldn’t rely too much on his power, you know…” Ainya grumbled but kept her bruised hands on her girlfriend’s trembling shoulders.

Crystal glanced at the two. Then, with her wary smile, said, “Don’t worry about me. I’m just a little tired every time I tap into this power.” She slammed the lance into the ground, using it as support.

Angel, noticing that everything was okay, waved a confirmation for them before returning her attention to… what appears to be not one, not two, but THREE treasure boxes. They were red too! The Miqo’te rubbed her chin, staring at the three containers.

“This is new to me… Never thought three of them would drop at once.”

Normally, one would only drop, and the occasional portal would tear open for more treasures. This scenario, however, was something no one had experienced. Even to the other members of their party, who had just arrived from their encounters with no more than cuts and bruises, excitedly talked about it.

But the excitement did not reach Crystal. The Dragoon, after regaining her strength, supported the weak Red Mage, and turned to the group.

“I’m going to head straight to the nearest village,” she said. After a quick whistle, she called upon her chocobo, and mounted Ainya on her bird. “Ainya needs treatment.”

**[-----]**

Two days later, and Ainya had woken up in the medical bay. She stared at the wooden ceiling, the fireplace crackling nearby. When she slowly sat up on the comfortable white mattress, she noticed a presence. Her heterochromatic eyes stared at that person. A smile broke out from her lips.

“Crystal, you know it’s bad for you to sleep in your dirty armor like that.”

Crystal, dozing away on the stool beside her bed, snapped her eyes open. She straightened her posture. Then, clearing her throat, stared back at her girlfriend. There was a pregnant pause.

“Ainya…”

“Crystal.”

“You’re awake…?”

“You must be eating some of those wild mushrooms if you’re asking me that sort of question.”

The Dragoon quickly grabbed Ainya’s bandaged hands. Gently in her bruised hands, she squeezed them, her red eyes watery.

“Seventh Hell, I thought you were going to be a goner,” she whispered. “The White Mages told us that you sustained so many broken bones, and how it pierced your organs… how you were able to walk around with your insides all messed up… They said it was a miracle how you’re still alive.”

“Guess I should thank them for helping me out then.” Ainya scratched the back of her bandaged head, annoyed that the itch was worst than she thought. As expected from a post-surgery. She sighed and softened her gaze. “I’m sorry to make you worry about me.”

“You made me worried alright. I stayed by your side at all times.”

“…is that why you’re starting to stink?”

“Could you please not talk about that right now? I’ll shower after we’re done with this conversation.”

Ainya chuckled, motioning towards the Dragoon. “Serious as always.” She grabbed Crystal’s arm and pulled her in close. The two shared a kiss, albeit quick, on the lips. “Loosen up. I’m alive right now, and I’m not going anywhere. Did you really think I would die that easily?”

“Um… after you’ve crashed my motorcycle, yes…”

“Oh… OH.” Whoops, Ainya had totally forgotten about the SDS Fenrir that she wrecked. Beads of sweat flew out of her head as she waved her hands frantically in the air. “I’m so SO sorry about that! I didn’t mean to crash the motorcycle! I swear!”

“I know you didn’t mean to. I’m just… bike-less now.”

“What about our rewards? The ones from the Treasure Maps?”

“…”

“…Crystal?”

“It was all spent on your medical expenses…”

“Hah?”

“Yes… you heard me. All of our gil went straight to your medical services.”

"...so we got nothing in the end?" 

"Yep." 

"..." 


End file.
